A Government team has completed distributing the first lot of relief supplies to the people of Long Island in the Raikos District, suffering from acute food shortage.

The islanders say, their food chain was affected by drought.

Madang Governor, Jim Kas, Provincial Health Director, Marcus Kachau and Deputy District Administrator for Raikos, Jimmy Aspel, took a day trip to the island recently, to see first hand, the situation, which locals claim, led to the deaths of 20 people, among them young children.

The government team went to Long Island about a week ago with basic food supplies such as rice, flour and cooking oil to be distributed to the one thousand plus households who have been confirmed to be suffering from the food shortage.

Director, Provincial Disaster Office in Madang, Norman Philemon told NBC News, the team has returned but was yet to furnish a report to his office.

Mr Philemon also reveals his office is currently working on a submission to the Provincial Disaster Committee for additional assistance to the islanders.

He said if approved, the submission will be forwarded to the National Disaster Office.

Mr Philemon further emphasized that government agencies such as Education, Health and Agriculture needed to be stationed immediately on the island to conduct further investigations on the situation

Mr. Philemon states, whilst initial reports had suggested it was a drought, government agencies that went to the island, including Governor Kas, think otherwise.

He says, Long Island has a history of long dry spells, which locals have always coped with adding, the current situation is different from a drought, with other symptoms showing.